Roma Station has been serving Italian food with a heavy emphasis on seafood for over forty years in Yokohama. It’s an institution of the Naka-ku restaurant scene that attracts locals and overseas visitors alike. Formerly located in Ishikawa-cho, it’s now close to Yamashita Park, billing itself a “restaurant where you can hear the steam whistle blow” from the harbor.
If you’re in the mood for some appetizers, ask for the fresh carpaccio (¥1080~), which changes depending on what the chef can get directly from the fish market. The bruschetta (¥520) are also classic and tasty. In this chillier weather, you may want to opt for one of their soups (¥500~). The main menu is quite varied; we definitely recommend you consider one of their legendary pizzas made simple with crunchy crust and minimal ingredients (like tomato & basil, or anchovies. ¥980~). The original stews and pot-warmed dishes are well worth considering, too. We chose the Mediterranean nabe or ‘stew’ (¥1950), which came with crab, shrimp and mussels, and was sufficient for sharing. Meat-lovers will delight in their Italian Hamburger Steak (¥1420) with the chef’s original sauce. Hungrier patrons, or those looking to celebrate toward the end of the year, should take a look at the party plans. These multi-course meals start from just ¥4000 and feature two-hours of all you can drink.
Roma Station’s drink menu is quite respectable. We were pleased to find an array of craft beers (¥980) available–not something you’ll usually find at an Italian restaurant. Mainstream Asahi draft, for the less adventurous, is just ¥650 a mug. Naturally, there are Italian wines available, both red and white, by the glass (¥540~), 500ml carafe (¥2370~) or bottle (¥3240), as well as selections from Chile and Spain. We were quite happy to be drinking IPAs with our pizza.
The first floor is relatively small with table seating for about twenty, and an outdoor terrace for four. The larger upstairs, great for parties, seats 40. And yes, you can actually hear the whistles from the harbor blow!